We know we need to talk to people, so let’s look at a situation we all find ourselves in when we attempt to speak with someone we don’t know.

Place and time: an elevator in a professional office building, late afternoon.

You get on the elevator, push the button for your floor, and watch the numbered lights flick on as you climb.  What’s on your mind? Things you need to take care of at work before 5pm; what you might have for dinner that night; weekend plans. . . .

Then suddenly the elevator stops. It’s not your floor.

The doors slide open and there is a woman:  “Going up?” she asks, as she steps in. You smile politely and nod. She pushes the button for her floor, and the doors begin to close.

The woman looks very professional and carries a stuffed briefcase. She leans back against the wall and sighs. “What a day,” she says.

You smile politely. “Yes, yes, what a day,” you respond, and then you look away.

Suddenly your mouth goes dry and your mind goes blank—you stare up at the numbers above the door. Yikes! It’s like you’ve completely forgotten how to speak. You know you’re being rude, but, well, you don’t know what to say anymore.

The elevator continues to climb: 6…7…8…

All you can think about is your MLM business, and the fact that you know you should try to contact this woman — she’s professional and sharp-looking; who knows, she might be interested. You’ve read all the books and listened to the tapes.  You know you should — but your heart is racing.

9…10. . . 11 …

You smile in her direction. She’s watching the numbers. You think: This is the longest elevator ride of my life!

A voice inside you — the brave, confident, I’m-a-leader voice — whispers: Just talk to her, get a business card, do something.

But you’re frozen. Because there is another voice inside you — the scared, embarrassed, I-can’t-do-it voice — yelling:

Don’t say anything! She wouldn’t be interested? She’s too corporate, she’s not the Network Marketing “type,” she doesn’t need it. She would laugh at you.

12 … 13 … 14 … the elevator stops. The doors part, and the woman steps out and disappears. You lean back against the wall.  The doors close, you are alone.

And you . . .feel horrible.

Where The Action Is

Welcome to the Frontline — the Frontline of Networking.

Of all the “lines” in the world of Network Marketing — upline, downline, crossline, bottom line — the Frontline is perhaps the place of greatest fear and greatest productive action. Read the rest of this entry »

Question:   What do you and every one of the greatest Networkers in our MLM industry have in common?

Answer.   A 24-hour day!

Yes, the 24-hour day is a great common denominator. All of us who desire success in Network Marketing are using 24 hours of our day already. We may say to ourselves, “As soon as things slow down a bit, I’ll be able to work my Networking business.” The problem is things never slow down!

Many of us act as if our activities will somehow make room for us to work our business. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen like that.  You have to make it happen. To get something different, you need to do something different. Read the rest of this entry »